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A slice of gooey pecan pie topped with a layer or pecans. — Pecan pie from Camellia Grill.

The Best Affordable Restaurants in New Orleans

Where to find muffulettas, shawarma, and even ribeye that won’t break the bank

by Beth D'Addono and Clair Lorell Updated Oct 30, 2024, 10:42am CDT

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Pecan pie from Camellia Grill.

| Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

by Beth D'Addono and Clair Lorell Updated Oct 30, 2024, 10:42am CDT

Thankfully, affordable dining isn’t that hard to come by in New Orleans. Make that, affordable good dining, because life’s too short to eat bad food (or drink bad wine, but that’s another story). Sidle up to any of the trusted spots on this list and you’re guaranteed a rib-sticking meal at prices that won’t break the bank. While a 10-spot can take care of business at many of these restaurants, prices have increased in the last year or two at some, for obvious reasons (waves hands).

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

The Coop

The Coop is James Beard semifinalist Marlon “Chicken” Williams second restaurant (Chicken’s Kitchen is his first), in Gretna, currently serving breakfast and brunch Monday through Friday. Early birds, get excited: it opens at 6:30 a.m. with a build-your-own breakfast option, as well as shrimp and grits (half-order for $7.99, full for $12.99), glorious Belgian waffles ($4.99), and daily specials like liver and onions, oxtail and grits, and breakfast pizza. The build-your-own breakfast is a steal, with the smaller option baby back) going for $3.99 and the bigger option (big back) going for $7.89. Lunch should be added eventually.

1030 Derbigny Street, Gretna, Louisiana 70053

Shawarma on the Go at Jetgo Gas Station

Like boudin and cracklin in Cajun country, falafel and shwarma have found glory in the humble New Orleans gas station. Shawarma on the Go is in residence in the Jetgo gas station on Magazine Street between Louisiana and Napoleon, where cones of shwarma meat glisten provocatively and the falafel is some of the best in the city. Sandwiches, salads, and sides are less than $12, and platters top out around $13, so don’t drive by this place.

3720 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA

Singleton's Mini Mart

Korean barbecue pork po’ boys, shrimp po’ boys, and Vietnamese specialties for under $12 are good reasons to keep this tidy corner store on your radar. On Saturdays, Singleton’s serves big, restorative bowls of beef pho for cheap.

3635, 7446 Garfield St, New Orleans, LA 70118

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The Camellia Grill

This famous New Orleans greasy spoon serves up affordable eats, from burgers to omelets to slices of pecan pie, at all hours of the day on Carrollton. A great destination when you want to grab classic diner food for $10.

626 South Carrollton Avenue, LA 70118

Kids and adults dine at the counter in a restaurant in front of an open kitchen. — The Camellia Grill

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Backatown Coffee Parlour

Backatown, the conveniently-located coffee shop serving up beans from one of the country’s only Black-owned coffee roaster (Bean Fruit in Pearl, Mississippi), is also known for seriously great breakfast, soup, paninis, and house-made sweet potato pie (a family recipe of the owner), all reasonably-priced — everything is under $10, including decadent dishes like BBQ crawfish and grits and a smoked salmon bagel sandwich. Quiches, pastries, and other small items go for less.

301 Basin St Suite 1, New Orleans, LA 70112

Sweet potato pie

Coop's Place

This beloved Decatur bar and down-home eatery is also one of few sit-down spots on the list, even if it’s not the cheapest. Local favorites include the rabbit and sausage jambalaya ($8), fried chicken with two sides ($13), and grilled pork chops ($13). Or, try a Taste Plate, with seafood gumbo, fried chicken, shrimp Creole, red beans and rice, and jambalaya for $16.

1109 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Outside Coop’s Place.

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Turtle Bay

Discount rib eye can be fraught with peril — unless it’s steak night at Turtle Bay in the French Quarter. Get a 10-ounce “petite rib eye” served with garlic bread and a stuffed potato. Or do like a regular, and order the big’n and split with a friend. Lots of other eats, but carnivores love this joint. Turtle Bay also delivers for a $5 service fee — a much preferable option to third-party apps.

1119 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

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Clover Grill

One of New Orleans’s last remaining 24-hour diners, this consummate French Quarter greasy spoon is strange and wonderful. With pink walls, red bar stools, and a retro feel, a nightly sea of people ranging from drunkards to drag queens gather for sassy, slow service and fried foods. Onion rings and hubcap burgers are the way to go.

900 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

A view through the window of a waiter serving a patron at Clover Grill on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Quartermaster Deli

Don’t expect to sit down at this cramped French Quarter deli, but for a sandwich on the go, piled high with deli meats or if a po’ boy, fried shrimp and oysters, this is a hidden gem. There’s also breakfast, barbecue plates, and late-night bites like jalapeno poppers, wings, and a cheap as hell corn dog. Other favorites include the mac and cheese, burgers, and meatloaf. Bring cash. Did we mention it’s 24/7?

1100 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Verti Marte

It’s not unusual to see folks having a sidewalk picnic outside of Verti Mart, the 24/7 convenience mart and deli on the quiet side of Royal Street in the Quarter. Bring cash — it’s all they take — and fill up on grilled-to-order burgers, smoked sausage on a bun, or tuna salad. Just about everything on the menu hovers around $10 to $12 and portions are satisfyingly large. Call to inquire about local delivery to the Quarter and bordering neighborhoods.

1201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116

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Frady's One Stop Food Store

Off-beat decor, outlandish stories, and longtime characters — what’s not to like about the longtime cheap eats haven on the corner of Piety and Dauphine? Frady’s is as basic as it gets, but the po’ boys are made to order and the sides are pure comfort (mac and cheese, deviled eggs, fries with gravy). Plate lunch options change daily and the service is real deal New Orleans friendly; orders are to go and it’s cash only.

3231 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

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Eat Well Food Mart

Located on Canal and Broad near a very busy bus stop and the courthouse, this mini mart with a killer food counter is the cheap eats bomb. Spend less than $10 at Eat Well and indulge in an enormous banh mi made before your very eyes AND a cold drink. Plus, there are numerous daily plate specials, pho, steamed buns, ya-ka-mein, and the glorious “phoritto.”

2700 Canal St Ste A, New Orleans, LA

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Norma’s Sweets Bakery

Empanadas and all the savory and sweet pastries at Norma's are all on the crazy cheap, no more than a few bucks. Find pretty much anything, actually, from this friendly neighborhood spot for a bargain. The food is high-quality and won't set you back more than $10. Try the Cuban, and during Carnival season, the guava cream cheese king cake.

2925 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Guava and cream cheese king cake from Norma’s Sweets Bakery.

Melba's Poboys

This 24/7 diner-style restaurant is popular for po’ boys, but the platters are cheap and good. Red beans and rice, baked chicken, mac and cheese, baked chicken, wings, fried pork chops, all delicious. Melba’s daily plates, all of which are $11 except for the seafood ones, are a steal. Oh, get a daiquiri with the money saved on eats. For the ambitious, there’s a 24-hour laundromat as well.

1525 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117

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Pagoda Café

Pagoda Cafe breakfast tacos are legendary in this town. $4.50 gets you potatoes, egg, and cheese on a Mawi tortilla, with either house-refried beans, bacon, turkey bacon, or tofu, and a side of bright green hot sauce. Still, don’t miss the shop’s savory pastries and sweet treats — think mango chia pudding and guava cream cheese puffs — or the espresso drinks, all of which are under $5.

1430 N Dorgenois St, New Orleans, LA 70119

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Coco Hut Carribean Restaurant

This Bayou Road restaurant is a 7th ward institution, serving heaping plates of Jamaican comfort food at reasonable prices for years now. The jerk chicken is glorious, unsurprisingly, as is the goat and snapper; all come in platters for less than $20. Daily specials and a handful of tables out front make this a popular lunch destination, so be patient.

2515 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119

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McHardy's Chicken & Fixin'

McHardy’s on North Broad serves up some of New Orleans’ best fried chicken at some of the most affordable prices in town, made by one of the nicest families you’ll ever meet. The peppery and dark McHardy’s chicken won the 2018 “best fried chicken” at the ultra-competitive New Orleans Fried Chicken Festival. Always busy and ever-efficient with huge Mardi Gras orders, the sides are just as good as the chicken, especially the fried okra, rice and beans, and mac and cheese.

1458 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

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Radosta's Restaurant

This old-school sandwich shop is the best, with a full bar and heaping platters of fried seafood and overstuffed po’ boys filled with everything from fried softshells to meatballs and roast beef. Radosta’s even features a broiled fish of the week, for folks looking for an alternative to fried.

249 Aris Avenue, LA 70005

Jambalaya and soft shell crab from Radosta’s.

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Chez Pierre Bakery Lakeview

The Lakeview location is just a few years old, but this French Vietnamese bakery has been a staple for affordable food in the greater New Orleans area for some time. The Harrison Avenue location expands on the menu, with well-priced made-to-order spring rolls, rice noodle dishes, banh mi, and specialty pastries like croissant doughnuts. Banh mi are less than $8, a steal.

141 W Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

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Fiorella's Cafe, the Original

So this fried chicken and Italian food family joint is a Gentilly gem. Two pieces of chicken with two sides, like fries, potato salad, or a garden salad come to just $8.95, a total steal. Everything is made there and all the platters are huge. Get a Fiorella’s half stromboli for a baked Italian sandwich treat.

5325 Franklin Ave, New Orleans, LA 70122

A simple storefront with a Fiorella’s Cafe sign sitting on top of the roof.

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Where to Eat Crispy Fried Chicken in New Orleans

Kosher Cajun NY Deli & Grocery

This New York-style deli on Severn is a gem worth discovering to satisfy a craving for hot pastrami on rye, ordered by the quarter pound, bagel and whitefish salad, or a Coney Island dog. Kosher Cajun NY Deli does a lot of catering, including offering chopped liver by the pound, gefilte fish and matzoh ball soup to go. Closed on Saturday for shabbat.

3519 Severn Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

Inside Kosher Cajun Deli.

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World Deli

Metairie-ites in the know adore this family-run po’ boy and platter shop on Clearview, and with good reason. World Deli dishes large portions of homestyle eats, from sandwiches and salads to daily dinner specials in the $10-$15 range, filling plates of red beans and rice, pork chops and mashed potatoes, and beef stew, served with veg of the day and garlic bread.

4414 Clearview Pkwy, Metairie, LA 70006

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The Coop

1030 Derbigny Street, Gretna, Louisiana 70053

The Coop is James Beard semifinalist Marlon “Chicken” Williams second restaurant (Chicken’s Kitchen is his first), in Gretna, currently serving breakfast and brunch Monday through Friday. Early birds, get excited: it opens at 6:30 a.m. with a build-your-own breakfast option, as well as shrimp and grits (half-order for $7.99, full for $12.99), glorious Belgian waffles ($4.99), and daily specials like liver and onions, oxtail and grits, and breakfast pizza. The build-your-own breakfast is a steal, with the smaller option baby back) going for $3.99 and the bigger option (big back) going for $7.89. Lunch should be added eventually.

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1030 Derbigny Street, Gretna, Louisiana 70053

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Shawarma on the Go at Jetgo Gas Station

3720 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA

Like boudin and cracklin in Cajun country, falafel and shwarma have found glory in the humble New Orleans gas station. Shawarma on the Go is in residence in the Jetgo gas station on Magazine Street between Louisiana and Napoleon, where cones of shwarma meat glisten provocatively and the falafel is some of the best in the city. Sandwiches, salads, and sides are less than $12, and platters top out around $13, so don’t drive by this place.

3720 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA

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Singleton's Mini Mart

3635, 7446 Garfield St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Korean barbecue pork po’ boys, shrimp po’ boys, and Vietnamese specialties for under $12 are good reasons to keep this tidy corner store on your radar. On Saturdays, Singleton’s serves big, restorative bowls of beef pho for cheap.

3635, 7446 Garfield St, New Orleans, LA 70118

The Camellia Grill

626 South Carrollton Avenue, LA 70118

This famous New Orleans greasy spoon serves up affordable eats, from burgers to omelets to slices of pecan pie, at all hours of the day on Carrollton. A great destination when you want to grab classic diner food for $10.

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626 South Carrollton Avenue, LA 70118

Kids and adults dine at the counter in a restaurant in front of an open kitchen. — The Camellia Grill

Backatown Coffee Parlour

301 Basin St Suite 1, New Orleans, LA 70112

Backatown, the conveniently-located coffee shop serving up beans from one of the country’s only Black-owned coffee roaster (Bean Fruit in Pearl, Mississippi), is also known for seriously great breakfast, soup, paninis, and house-made sweet potato pie (a family recipe of the owner), all reasonably-priced — everything is under $10, including decadent dishes like BBQ crawfish and grits and a smoked salmon bagel sandwich. Quiches, pastries, and other small items go for less.

Open in Google Maps

301 Basin St Suite 1, New Orleans, LA 70112

Visit Website

Sweet potato pie

Coop's Place

1109 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

This beloved Decatur bar and down-home eatery is also one of few sit-down spots on the list, even if it’s not the cheapest. Local favorites include the rabbit and sausage jambalaya ($8), fried chicken with two sides ($13), and grilled pork chops ($13). Or, try a Taste Plate, with seafood gumbo, fried chicken, shrimp Creole, red beans and rice, and jambalaya for $16.

1109 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

Outside Coop’s Place.

Turtle Bay

1119 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Discount rib eye can be fraught with peril — unless it’s steak night at Turtle Bay in the French Quarter. Get a 10-ounce “petite rib eye” served with garlic bread and a stuffed potato. Or do like a regular, and order the big’n and split with a friend. Lots of other eats, but carnivores love this joint. Turtle Bay also delivers for a $5 service fee — a much preferable option to third-party apps.

1119 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

Clover Grill

900 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

One of New Orleans’s last remaining 24-hour diners, this consummate French Quarter greasy spoon is strange and wonderful. With pink walls, red bar stools, and a retro feel, a nightly sea of people ranging from drunkards to drag queens gather for sassy, slow service and fried foods. Onion rings and hubcap burgers are the way to go.

900 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

A view through the window of a waiter serving a patron at Clover Grill on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Quartermaster Deli

1100 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Don’t expect to sit down at this cramped French Quarter deli, but for a sandwich on the go, piled high with deli meats or if a po’ boy, fried shrimp and oysters, this is a hidden gem. There’s also breakfast, barbecue plates, and late-night bites like jalapeno poppers, wings, and a cheap as hell corn dog. Other favorites include the mac and cheese, burgers, and meatloaf. Bring cash. Did we mention it’s 24/7?

1100 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

Verti Marte

1201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116

It’s not unusual to see folks having a sidewalk picnic outside of Verti Mart, the 24/7 convenience mart and deli on the quiet side of Royal Street in the Quarter. Bring cash — it’s all they take — and fill up on grilled-to-order burgers, smoked sausage on a bun, or tuna salad. Just about everything on the menu hovers around $10 to $12 and portions are satisfyingly large. Call to inquire about local delivery to the Quarter and bordering neighborhoods.

1201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

Frady's One Stop Food Store

3231 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

Off-beat decor, outlandish stories, and longtime characters — what’s not to like about the longtime cheap eats haven on the corner of Piety and Dauphine? Frady’s is as basic as it gets, but the po’ boys are made to order and the sides are pure comfort (mac and cheese, deviled eggs, fries with gravy). Plate lunch options change daily and the service is real deal New Orleans friendly; orders are to go and it’s cash only.

Open in Google Maps

3231 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

Visit Website

Eat Well Food Mart

2700 Canal St Ste A, New Orleans, LA

Located on Canal and Broad near a very busy bus stop and the courthouse, this mini mart with a killer food counter is the cheap eats bomb. Spend less than $10 at Eat Well and indulge in an enormous banh mi made before your very eyes AND a cold drink. Plus, there are numerous daily plate specials, pho, steamed buns, ya-ka-mein, and the glorious “phoritto.”

2700 Canal St Ste A, New Orleans, LA

Norma’s Sweets Bakery

2925 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Empanadas and all the savory and sweet pastries at Norma's are all on the crazy cheap, no more than a few bucks. Find pretty much anything, actually, from this friendly neighborhood spot for a bargain. The food is high-quality and won't set you back more than $10. Try the Cuban, and during Carnival season, the guava cream cheese king cake.

Open in Google Maps

2925 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Guava and cream cheese king cake from Norma’s Sweets Bakery.

Melba's Poboys

1525 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117

This 24/7 diner-style restaurant is popular for po’ boys, but the platters are cheap and good. Red beans and rice, baked chicken, mac and cheese, baked chicken, wings, fried pork chops, all delicious. Melba’s daily plates, all of which are $11 except for the seafood ones, are a steal. Oh, get a daiquiri with the money saved on eats. For the ambitious, there’s a 24-hour laundromat as well.

Open in Google Maps

1525 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117

Visit Website

Pagoda Café

1430 N Dorgenois St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Pagoda Cafe breakfast tacos are legendary in this town. $4.50 gets you potatoes, egg, and cheese on a Mawi tortilla, with either house-refried beans, bacon, turkey bacon, or tofu, and a side of bright green hot sauce. Still, don’t miss the shop’s savory pastries and sweet treats — think mango chia pudding and guava cream cheese puffs — or the espresso drinks, all of which are under $5.

1430 N Dorgenois St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

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Coco Hut Carribean Restaurant

2515 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119

This Bayou Road restaurant is a 7th ward institution, serving heaping plates of Jamaican comfort food at reasonable prices for years now. The jerk chicken is glorious, unsurprisingly, as is the goat and snapper; all come in platters for less than $20. Daily specials and a handful of tables out front make this a popular lunch destination, so be patient.

Open in Google Maps

2515 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119

McHardy's Chicken & Fixin'

1458 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

McHardy’s on North Broad serves up some of New Orleans’ best fried chicken at some of the most affordable prices in town, made by one of the nicest families you’ll ever meet. The peppery and dark McHardy’s chicken won the 2018 “best fried chicken” at the ultra-competitive New Orleans Fried Chicken Festival. Always busy and ever-efficient with huge Mardi Gras orders, the sides are just as good as the chicken, especially the fried okra, rice and beans, and mac and cheese.

1458 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Radosta's Restaurant

249 Aris Avenue, LA 70005

This old-school sandwich shop is the best, with a full bar and heaping platters of fried seafood and overstuffed po’ boys filled with everything from fried softshells to meatballs and roast beef. Radosta’s even features a broiled fish of the week, for folks looking for an alternative to fried.

Open in Google Maps

249 Aris Avenue, LA 70005

Visit Website

Jambalaya and soft shell crab from Radosta’s.

Chez Pierre Bakery Lakeview

141 W Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

The Lakeview location is just a few years old, but this French Vietnamese bakery has been a staple for affordable food in the greater New Orleans area for some time. The Harrison Avenue location expands on the menu, with well-priced made-to-order spring rolls, rice noodle dishes, banh mi, and specialty pastries like croissant doughnuts. Banh mi are less than $8, a steal.

141 W Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

Visit Website

Fiorella's Cafe, the Original

5325 Franklin Ave, New Orleans, LA 70122

So this fried chicken and Italian food family joint is a Gentilly gem. Two pieces of chicken with two sides, like fries, potato salad, or a garden salad come to just $8.95, a total steal. Everything is made there and all the platters are huge. Get a Fiorella’s half stromboli for a baked Italian sandwich treat.

5325 Franklin Ave, New Orleans, LA 70122

Visit Website

A simple storefront with a Fiorella’s Cafe sign sitting on top of the roof.

Kosher Cajun NY Deli & Grocery

3519 Severn Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

This New York-style deli on Severn is a gem worth discovering to satisfy a craving for hot pastrami on rye, ordered by the quarter pound, bagel and whitefish salad, or a Coney Island dog. Kosher Cajun NY Deli does a lot of catering, including offering chopped liver by the pound, gefilte fish and matzoh ball soup to go. Closed on Saturday for shabbat.

3519 Severn Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

Visit Website

Inside Kosher Cajun Deli.

World Deli

4414 Clearview Pkwy, Metairie, LA 70006

Metairie-ites in the know adore this family-run po’ boy and platter shop on Clearview, and with good reason. World Deli dishes large portions of homestyle eats, from sandwiches and salads to daily dinner specials in the $10-$15 range, filling plates of red beans and rice, pork chops and mashed potatoes, and beef stew, served with veg of the day and garlic bread.

4414 Clearview Pkwy, Metairie, LA 70006

Visit Website

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